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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Structural Studies of Macromolecules in Solution using Small Angle X-Ray Scattering
Published on: November 5, 2018
Supramolecular structure of methyl cellulose and lambda- and kappa-carrageenan in water: SAXS study using the
Iztok Dogsa1, Jure Cerar2, Andrej Jamnik2
1Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Abstract:
A detailed data analysis utilizing the string-of-beads model was performed on experimental small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) curves in a targeted structural study of three, very important, industrial polysaccharides. The results demonstrate the quality of performance for this model on three polymers with quite different thermal structural behavior. Furthermore, they show the advantages of the model used by way of excellent fits in the ranges where the classic approach to the small-angle scattering data interpretation fails and an additional 3D visualization of the model's molecular conformations and anticipated polysaccharide supramolecular structure. The importance of this study is twofold: firstly, the methodology used and, secondly, the structural details of important biopolymers that are widely applicable in practice.
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